The Last Happy Butterfly
by Phoenix Sworn
Summary: AU. Remus was the original SecretKeeper, but changed it to Pettigrew. Without Lily's protections, Harry is given to Sirius for safekeeping. Title was changed On HIATUS
1. The Beginning of Change

Disclaimer: The canon characters of this fic are the property of JKR, though the plot is (for the most part) mine.

A/N- Hi again, sorry for the wait, but life is chaotic, and I am running three stories at once. Anyway, this has been redone, so I need to thank _Aerospace_ and _Two2feet_ for their suggestions. Canon events are basically thrown out the window, assume that none of them will happen and we can start from there. Chapters will be titled and set by years after this chapter, so there may be large jumps. Enjoy.

THE LAST HAPPY BUTTERFLY

Prologue Part One

Sirius looked down at the tiny bundle in his arms. The soft blanket curled gently around the tiny face. His black hair was already mimicking James' and peeked out from beneath the red hat he was wearing. As he watched, Harry opened his eyes, and two green lights appeared. A single scar shaped like a lightning bolt sat on his forehead. His face suddenly set into innocent determination and one of his hands wiggled out of the blanket. It latched onto Sirius' thumb, and moved it side to side in an innocent game.

"Are you going to be alright, Sirius?" Dumbledore's calm voice said from behind him.

"I'll-" Sirius wanted to tell the truth. That he would never be all right. That it would never heal. Less than six hours earlier he had been informed that two of his greatest friends had been murdered. Their son, his godson, would never know them. He felt as though everything he loved had been ripped away in one fell swoop. He wanted to tell the truth, but it would never help. "-be fine. Has Remus been told?"

"Yes, he should be here soon."

"Do you have any understanding as to what happened to Voldemort?"

"Not enough. He is gone. At least for a time." Sirius nodded, and Dumbledore turned to leave. As he reached the door, he whipped abruptly back. "There is something else you need to know."

"About Harry?" Sirius asked the question, already knowing the answer.

"Harry is special, more than anything else. It was the reason James and Lily decided to go into hiding. They decided that, no matter what, it was better to be safe. No matter what happens _Harry has to stay safe_."

"What exactly makes him so special?"

"If we have properly interpreted the signs, then it is possible that one day young Harry _may_ be able to defeat Voldemort. I'm sorry to have to lay this on you, but it is up to you that he one day is ready for that."

Sirius watched as the headmaster walked out of the room and disapparated. Harry made a little gurgle, and fell back to sleep. He walked to the back of his one room flat and conjured a crib. Attempting to do magic when emotionally strained could have severe consequences, as was proven by the dismal imitation of what he had been trying for. It was devoid of blankets, mattress or pillow, but Sirius just dragged some off his own bed to make up for it.

The instant Harry was comfortable Sirius began working. He set every ward he could remember, and was fairly certain he had invented several before he was satisfied. The list of people who could find his home was short, and the sound of knocking at his door had him running down the hall, Harry in hand once more. His wards had worked. They had to have worked. They just had to, which meant that this was a friend.

Upset at being woken and then jostled about by the man carrying him, Harry began to fuss.

Despite his recent precautions, his wand was out while he opened the door. For half a second he prepared to attack, but the black hood was thrown back to reveal Remus Lupin.

They reached out and pulled themselves into a much-needed brotherly embrace. It was a fierce hug, and they would not have stopped but for Harry's increasingly loud protests.

Remus glanced imploringly to Sirius, and upon the responding nod, took Harry into his arms. "Just like him." He said quietly, almost to himself. "How are you Padfoot?"

"I'm fine."

"You're a horrible liar when you're upset. Tell the truth this time, because I doubt you're any better than I am, and I'm in hell."

"I'm fine, or at least I will be. Someday."

"Like shit you will. Sirius, answer me."

"Remus, about six hours ago I was informed that one of my best friends and his wife had been murdered defending their son against a man who wants to take over the world. About four hours ago I found out that Voldemort had disappeared. About two hours ago I found out Harry was still alive. About half an hour ago, Dumbledore handed me Harry, so that I could raise of him. Fifteen minutes ago I found out that he may one day have the power to stop Voldemort, but that I have to train him. And five minutes ago I discovered I know nothing about raising a kid, let alone teaching him. I am twenty-one years old, I can hardly handle my own life, now I have to handle two, so, how do you think I am?"

"Sorry, but it's just that-" Remus stopped as a murmur from a child distracted them both. Sirius looked at Harry who was now awake, but silent since he was no longer crushed between two inconsolable men. He looked to his friend in confusion, and saw him lift a bundle of his own out of a small basket.

"Moony. Who is that?"

"Alex. Well, Alexandra, actually."

"Then may I ask who's she is?"

Remus shifted uncomfortably and muttered under his breath.

"Moony? She isn't yours is she?"

"Well…"

Something vaguely reminiscent of a smile edged onto Sirius' face. He could not have created a real one, but the movement was there. "Alright Wolf-Boy, come with me." He walked to his living room, gestured to a comfortable chair, and sat in one himself. "Who? How old? How long have you known? Where is her mother? And most importantly, is she a lycanthrope?"

"Sirius, I'm not sure she's mine. I'm really not. Rachel McMyers is the mother. Alex is five and a half months. I've known for about three weeks. Her mother is dead. And no, she's not a lycanthrope. Thank God."

"Can I see her?"

Remus looked instantly like a defensive father, but then gave a humorless chuckle. He handed Alex over, and took Harry in turn. Both children argued about the movement, but quieted again once held by the caring men. Sirius carefully moved part of the blanket to see her face. She looked up with a question in her gray eyes, and life in her fair skin. She blinked and stuck out her tongue, and he realized her unusualness. Her hair was pure white.

"Her, um…Remus, her hair is-" he said falteringly to his friend.

"White. Yes, I know. It certainly isn't her mother's. It isn't mine either, but she does have my eyes. I don't know Sirius. If she was mine, she'd…she would be a lycanthrope. They _always_ are, but, she has my eyes, and I knew Rachel, I trusted her, and she…she hadn't been with anyone else. The timing works Padfoot, but the product doesn't make sense." Sirius looked down.

"There are tests, Moony. We'll find out for sure tomorrow."

"Sirius, the tests are very expensive, which is why-" Remus stopped as he looked to the other man. Sirius was watching him, and the look he gave explained that he would pay, that it wasn't a problem, and that he wanted nothing else but to make sure that some of the Marauders were happy in the end. Remus nodded, "Thank you." He said quietly.

For almost an hour they were content to sit, staring at the miracles in their arms. Finally, the babies were asleep and they found the energy to speak.

"Moony, I never suspected you, I never could, but you were the-"

"They changed."

"What?"

"They changed. Right at the end. They changed. It wasn't me by the time it happened."

"Then who? Who else did they trust enough?"

Remus' eyes began to glow with the same anger that appeared in his wolven form. "They changed to Peter. At my request."

The dawn of comprehension, then hatred, radiated over Sirius, and he felt the sudden and strong urge to rush out and find the traitor.

Before he could, Remus had risen and handed him Harry. Burdened with two bundled children, Sirius lurched to his feet.

"Watch her until I get back."

"Moony, you'll need backup on this."

"No, this is mine. And it's my fault. Just watch her until I get back, Padfoot."

One week later.

Sirius stood in the quiet graveyard, staring down at three new markers.

Lily E. Potter.

James E. Potter.

Remus J. Lupin.

Both children were dressed in black clothes and were maturely silent as they sat in his arms.

"I'm watching." He whispered. "I'm watching, Moony. Prongs, Lils, I'm watching him too." He looked to Harry as the boy tugged lightly on his ear. "I'm watching, but I know what has to happen, and I won't let them face this nightmare unprepared." 


	2. Three Years Later

Disclaimer: The canon characters of this fic are the property of JKR, though the plot is (for the most part) mine. Hobbes is a part of Calvin and Hobbes.

A/N- If you haven't reread chapter One, do it now, it has been fully rewritten and don't skip the Author's Note….this chapter is a bit perkier than the last one.

THE LAST HAPPY BUTTERFLY

Prologue Part Two: Three Years Later

Sirius picked up the clothing on the floor, grumbling, and tossed it down again in aggravation. His wand was still missing. It had been missing all morning. Even though he had managed to find two old cloaks, a cauldron, three vials of energy potion, a quaffle that had been missing since he was eighteen, and a molding sandwich he was certain was from a different decade, until he found his wand, he planned to remain tense and scared witless.

He was the only person in the house who could really defend anything, and even with the dozen or so charms and spells on his house, he still wanted his wand back.

Harry and Alex claimed to have no idea where it was, even when Sirius threatened their 'secret' Candy Stash.

Sighing, he rose up from the crouch he was in, and forgot a small, almost trivial detail: He was underneath a desk.

His vision blurred for a few seconds as a slue of rather eloquent curses streamed from his mouth. The entire back of his head was throbbing, and he touched it gingerly, shocked to find he wasn't bleeding. It was his firm belief that anything that hurt that bad should at least leave a scar so you could later get pity.

He crawled out from the desk and collapsed into the ancient leather chair. "Ow." He said as a close to his painful experience. Glancing around the room with every intention of leaving since his wand was not here either, he started at the sight of one of Lily's old photo albums.

Even before she had started dating James she had bought, stolen, taken and begged for photos of the Marauder's antics.

She claimed she had been saving them as blackmail.

James claimed she had just been denying her true emotions.

She slapped him.

Sirius chuckled and opened it. The first picture was from their first year, right after the sorting. It was in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius was off by himself, still thought of as a 'Slytherin who'd conned the sorting hat.' Lily was already yelling at James. James was looking confused. Remus was pretending he was invisible, and everyone else was cheering Lily on.

The next was of their first prank, about three months into the year. James had accepted that Sirius was a real Gryffindor, and they had managed to find a charm that made anything it was cast on float just out of arm's reach.

In the next Lily was yelling at James again, and Sirius was looking just as scared.

He flipped through and found the pictures of their second year when the Marauders started to form. By the third year it was obvious that they were best friends. He reached a series of photos that had been taken over a two week period of every time Lily and James had started fighting.

There were over three dozen.

At the end of their third year they had made the rather horrid mistake of pranking Lily specifically. It really hadn't been much, just a simple spell that put her mental thoughts out loud. They had gotten a week of detention, but she had gotten two for what had been accidentally said.

Her retaliation was to locate a charm that made James' already disastrous hair look vaguely like he had been electrocuted.

Their pranks were thrown back and forth for the next month, Sirius laughing along with whoever had done the better job, until he reached the last photo of the year. James and Lily were grudgingly shaking hands while all of their friends—James' behind him, and Lily's behind her—glared and forced them too. Everyone in the photo, excluding the two at the center was atomic pink from head to toe.

Sirius almost fell out of his chair when he saw it. It had taken the collaborative efforts of the entire Gryffindor Third-Year class to find a counter curse.

He could identify when they had worked out about Remus, because the pranks were all designed around getting them the Restricted Section books they needed.

Merrily, Sirius flipped through until he was at the end of the fifth year. Peter was puffing his chest out and standing on a chair to get enough height and pointing his wand comically at Remus who had one hand thrown melodramatically across his forehead.

Peter looked a bit like he was serious, but to Remus it was just for fun.

Swearing, he slammed the book shut, rammed it back onto the shelf, decided to hell with the wand and walked towards the kitchen in search of strong liquor.

At the door he stopped and listened to the mayhem inside.

"No, oh no, oh no, oh no, Harry, what did you do?"

"Nothing."

"It's everywhere!"

"I know Allie, I know."

"Help me get it off, Sirrie will come down soon."

There was a crash of glass breaking and a short yelp from Alex. As Harry shouted, Sirius' instincts took over and he rushed in, only to stop abruptly.

Alex and Harry both stopped and looked up at him with wide eyes, caught red-handed.

Unfortunately, literally.

There was a layer of flour over every surface in the kitchen. Harry looked like he was going gray, while Alex just looked like a ghost.

Every pot, pan, bowl, spoon, measuring cup and towel in the house seemed to have been used.

The faucet was slowly dripping into the overflowing sink.

_Every_ cabinet door was open.

There was a large splash of red goo on the floor amid the glass shards, both Alex and Harry seemed to have dough from their fingertips to their elbows with a special coating of dark red frosting on their hands.

They looked terrified.

"What happened?" Sirius asked as though it were a regular occurrence.

They exchanged a glance and Harry climbed off the footstool, disappearing behind counter before triumphantly carrying an enormous cake over to the table, where he set it down with a broad grin. It was dark red with gold around the outside and a sloppily done Gryffindor lion in the center. "We baked you a cake. Happy Birthday, Sirrie! We don't have any ice cream, but it still'll be good!" Harry had a severe ice cream fetish.

"You did this all by yourself?" They nodded happily. He pulled them into a tight hug, ignoring the mess they were, and said, "I'm so proud, but how did you do it?"

"With your wand!" Harry answered cheerily.

"And where is my wand now?" Both of them looked to the other. "Is my wand inside the cake?" Sirius asked slowly.

"Oh, no, it almost was, but Allie caught that before we baked it. We put it…er…er…oh yeah!" Harry ran over to the barrel of flour and stuck his arm in up to the shoulder. Finally, amid a cloud of white powder, he drew it out and ran over with it.

"Harry, why was it in the flour?"

"Umm…I'm not sure anymore, but I bet it made sense at the time."

"I bet it did." They all nodded happily, and Sirius used a quick scouring charm to clean the kitchen. He retrieved a few dishes and forks, cut the cake, and served them each a piece.

Incredibly, and against his expectations, it was wonderful. He congratulated them again, and they beamed under his praise. When they were finished, and after several minutes of promises that it was alright to have leftovers, Alex sat up, clearly trying to look mature and said gravely. "Sirrie, will you try to be happier now? You're always sad, and we want you to be happier. Please be happy, Sirrie."

He smiled, "I'll try. I could never deny a lady."

A sudden thought occurred to him, "Do you two want to go to Diagon Alley today?"

Their cheers answered his question.

"Please can we look at the brooms? Please, please, please, please pretty please with a cherry and whipped cream and chocolate syrup and ice cream and caramel and sprinkles and marshmallows and cookies and candy and—"

"Yes Harry, we can look at the brooms." Harry cheered. He and Alex walked down the center of Diagon Alley hand in hand, under orders not to lose one another. "What do you want to do Alex?"

She shrugged.

Harry was still skipping a bit and bubbled, "Come on Allie, where'd _you_ wanna go?"

She shrugged again, "Brooms're fine. Need to think." Sirius frowned. She was always shy when she was around large groups. At home she was anything but subdued, and caused twice as much trouble as Harry did. Alex reminded him of a Muggle Cartoon he had seen Lily with one time. '_Hoobes' or maybe 'Hobbes.'_ _Something like that._

They walked into the newest Quidditch store on the street: Quality Quidditch Supplies. There was an enormous sign over the door proclaiming a Grand opening and the introduction of the newest hot broom on the market: the Nimbus 1001.

Shoppers, children and Quidditch fanatics alike were crowded around the case ogling the shining broom. It certainly outdid the Nimbus 1000, and made the Cleansweep 6 look like a muggle contraption. The old broom rivalries would only increase in the face of this new technology. Sirius left the pair with their noses plastered to the glass and sought out the manager. "How much is it?"

"Seventy Galleons."

Sirius' eyebrows went up. "That's not too bad."

"Yes, it's one of the reasons Nimbus is doing so well. The Comet 190 can break eighty-five easily but is over ninety galleons. The Cleansweep 6 can barely make it to ninety mph and they're asking seventy-five."

"Just how fast does this one go?"

"Josef Wronski—that new Polish Seeker, crazy, he is, clocked it at one-ten in a dive. But, like I said, he's crazy. Sane people could probably manage to break a hundred though."

Sirius chuckled. "I guess this is the end of Cleansweep and Comet."

"Don't count on it, sir, we've heard rumors of brooms being tested in the Americas. They have cliffs there long enough for the Seekers to really have fun with. Excuse me." The man slipped back into the crowd to greet more customers, and Sirius gathered the pair, practically dragging them away from the display.

Harry waited until they were a few steps away before starting to beg. "Please can I have one Sirrie, pleeeeease. Please. I really, really, really, really, really, really want one."

"Where would you fly it?"

"Inside." He replied stubbornly even as he saw why he couldn't own one. "Fine, Sirrie, I don't need one." He paused, then started again, perfectly perky, "Can we get ice cream?"

"Harry we just had cake."

"Yeah, but it's your birthday and you need more dessert. Let's go, ice cream, ice cream, ice cream, ice cream. Please. Oh, I mean for you, for your birthday. 'Cause it's really hot and ice cream- cold ice cream- would be soooo good right now. Chocolate with fudge on top, all smooth and nice and so, so good. Little crunchy candy, and walnuts that you can nibble on. Bits of squishy marshmallow that ooze around your mouth. We should really get some ice cream, doesn't it sound good, Sirrie?"

_This kid could convince _Voldemort_ to buy ice cream._ "Yes, it does Harry. We need to stop at the bank first though. Come on Allie."

Harry stopped walking and glared, it was far more threatening than he would have expected from a five year old. "Allie is my name for her. You can use Alex or Alexandra, but not ever Allie, that one is mine."

For several second Sirius could only stare back at the boy. He had Lily's temper alright. Finally he apologized, promised to never call her Allie again, and led them to Gringotts.

The train ride was as unpleasant as ever, but Alex was starting to cheer up and sat at the front with Harry, letting the breeze hit her in the face.

They left with a full purse even though Sirius' account was quickly emptying. _I can go back to work once they're older._

Harry skipped down the street, thrilled to be going to Florean's. They found a table and Sirius pulled out a chair for Alex to climb into, but she wasn't there. He swallowed and screamed at himself to remain calm. "Harry, where is Alex?" His voice squeaked at the end. _So much for sounding calm._

"She's looking at the stick shop."

"The what?"

"That old store at the end of the street. The stick—wand—shop I mean, don't worry, she's fine. Allie says not to worry. Can we get ice cream now?"

Sirius shook his head and latched onto Harry's hand, jogging with him back down the street to Ollivander's. Harry complained most of the way, but eventually succumbed to silence. They broke through one last group of shoppers and found Alex staring at the wand on the pillow. Sirius lifted her off the ground in a hug. "Alex, never leave like that again, ever. Do you have any idea how scared I was? Tell me where you are _all the ti_me, do not just—"

"I've thought now. I want to go in here."

Sirius shook his head, wishing it would stay up to speed. "What?"

"You asked where I wanted to go. I want to go in here. Harry, come with me." Having already been set down, she pushed the door open. A bell rang and Ollivander stepped from the shelves. Sirius and Harry followed quickly, and the old man surveyed them with misty eyes. "Hello." Alex said politely.

"Miss Lupin, how are you?"

"Good, how did you—"

"I recognize your eyes, just like I recognize Mr. Potter's eyes and hair. For that, how are you Mr. Potter?"

"I'm good."

"And you Mr. Black?" Sirius nodded, "You'll be here to get them their wands."

"Well, actually—"

"Of course you are. Let's begin. Which are your wand arms?"

"Right."

"Right."

"Very good, wait here then." He flicked his wand and a two measuring tapes jumped from the table. "Mr. Black, are you looking for a new wand, or is your original one holding up? Mahogany, eleven inches, and dragon-heartstring wasn't it?"

"It's fine."

"Very good, now you two, stay there and we can start testing. Miss Lupin, we'll begin with you." He opened a box and handed the wand to her. "Willow, phoenix feather, eight inches. No? Here, ten inches, dragon heartstring, ash. Try it with Maple. No?" The old man he returned with a dusty box from the back and several others under his arm. Sirius was still in shock by the door, watching as his four-year old godchildren searched for their wands.

Alex looked at the wand in the box and shook her head, "I want that one."

"Which, Miss Lupin?"

"The one on the pillow."

"M'dear, that wand has sat there since the thirteen hundreds, no one has ever matched it. It is a keepsake more than a useful object."

"I want it." She stared up at the man, and he shrugged. He lifted it cautiously from the pillow and handed it to her. Alex smiled the second it was in her hand and she gave it a short wave; silver sparks shot out of the end.

Sirius jumped as he saw it, but Ollivander was hiding a secretive grin. "Nine inches, Willow, Unicorn hair. A very fine wand Miss Lupin."

Silence reigned for a few moments before Alex pushed Harry to where she had been standing. If Alex's search had been unique, Harry's could outdo it in length. For more than an hour Harry stood in the middle of the room flicking wands through the air and watching as nothing happened. The pile on the chair grew until it wobbled back and forth, then grew some more. Finally Ollivander half disappeared into a shelf and emerged with a tired box. "It must have fallen back there." He apologized.

Harry picked it up and waved it apathetically, expecting the same nonexistent response. Red and gold sparks exploded out of the end, and Sirius couldn't help but think of Gryffindor. "Holly and Phoenix Feather, eleven inches, Mr. Potter, very supple, and very curious."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked as the wands were bought.

"I have never forgotten any wand I have ever sold, Mr. Black. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in that wand, gave another feather—just one other. It is very curious indeed that Mr. Potter should be destined for that wand when it's brother gave him his scar."

"Voldemort?"

"Indeed. As I said, quite curious. Mr. Potter it seems is destined for great things."

"Sirius," Alex asked behind him. She and Harry had been comparing their purchases, "Can we go home, I have a headache."

"Of course, Alex, let's go now."

Harry waved to Mr. Ollivander before turning on his Godfather and bubbling out, "Sirrie, can we stop and buy some ice cream on the way back?"

I'm looking for a beta if anyone is interested. I can't see my own mistakes very well. Send to my email account.


	3. Eight Years Later

A/N- Short? Yep. Pivotal? Uh-huh. The final part of a rearranged three-piece prologue? You betcha. But don't worry, next chapter the fun starts… … … ; )

}I{

THE LAST HAPPY BUTTERFLY

Prologue Part Three: Eight Years Later

}I{

It was Harry's ninth birthday. Sirius had inherited the Black Manor at the time of his mother's death, and had been living there with the children for the last three years.

This change of venue had brought about several changes.

First, now that he owned a private indoor Quidditch Pitch again, both kids learned to play. It turned out that Harry was as natural on the broom as Prongs had been. Alex, a phenomenal Keeper, though, always managed to anticipate the quaffle and in three years of playing had missed seven shots. The two were insanely close, treating each other and brother and sister, constantly finishing the other's sentence and revealing information that only the other had been told.

Next was that, thanks to Sirius' father's paranoia, they could train as hard as they wanted without fear of detection by the Ministry.

Most importantly though, and the part that had caused Sirius to dance around the room in joy, was the return of a house-elf to Sirius' life.

Kreacher's presence had translated directly to: No more cooking.

In the mean time, the Wizarding world had continued on. The miraculous Boy-Who-Lived wouldn't give interviews, the Black Manor was well hidden, and above all, Voldemort was still gone. A quiet sort of contentment had descended on the world, and Sirius had been caught up in it.

Which was why Harry's birthday unfolded the way it had.

}I{

The amount of ice cream consumed by one Harry Potter was roughly enough to feed the population of Lithuania. He had starved himself the day before to 'have more room.' Needless to say, the ice cream fetish had yet to die.

There was a knock on the door. Sirius went to open it, and that was when hell broke loose.

Death Eaters led by none other than Voldemort himself swept inside, knocking Sirius out of the way and heading directly for the dining room. Sirius was placed in a full body bind, and forced to watch. The tortures they inflicted on two small children—no, some things are better left unsaid.

They survived though, whether by power or plan or sheer will, they survived.

Harry ended it.

One of the Death Eaters stepped away from Harry and towards Alex. She had been drugged, and could barely resist their actions. The Death Eater lifted a knife, which was the last thing he ever did. Harry's eyes widened, his body tensed, he screamed and a blast of pure energy flooded the room. Voldemort fell back, the Death Eaters collapsed, Sirius was released. The man who had tried to attack Alex fell forward though, against all odds, and the knife fell with him. Silently, the blade slipped into her chest. She was already unconscious, and made no reaction. Voldemort rose from the ground, and for a few minutes the Dark Lord and the Boy-who-lived met eyes.

Nothing was said at first, but Voldemort hissed one last thing before vanishing. Parseltongue. "We will meet again one day, and I will prevail."

Death Eaters began to wake up, and disapparated immediately. Sirius didn't have the energy to stop them. Neither did Harry. Both children were unconscious.

Sirius crawled towards the last Death Eater, already suspecting who it would be, and found his theory proven correct.

Severus Snape woke painfully, and sneered at who was beside him.

"Do you remember what happened eight years ago?" Sirius whispered.

"Yes."

"Good, because I'm calling that debt."

}I{

"She is his weakness so I can't allow her near him." Sirius said as he fell into a chair. Harry was asleep from magical exhaustion. Alex was asleep from blood-loss and the healing. He and Severus were seated in the parlor of all places, trying to develop of a rational plan.

"What am _I_ supposed to do?"

"You were the last of the Death Eaters left. Tomorrow morning I will release a statement that I awoke and killed you. I will create a simulacrum, have it publicly abused and then buried. You will take Alex, you will change your appearance, adopt a new name, and disappear. To all the world you will both be dead. I will know otherwise. She will think we are dead. You will train her to fight. Eventually they will meet again, but think that is a long ways away."

"Will he know that she is alive?"

"No. As far as he knows she died from that knife, and I want to keep it that way. It's safer. I need to be told what your new identity will be. I will create a Gringotts account and will transfer enough gold to support you both. Immediately after that Harry and I will disappear as well."

"You certainly know how to call a debt, Black."

"Is it agreed?"

"This will fulfill the debt entirely?"

"Yes."

"Then it is agreed."

}I{

**YOU-KNOW-WHO RETURNS!**

_In a terrifying attack on the Black Manor where Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived resides, he-who-must-not-be-named has made his return known. He brought a dozen Death Eaters with him according to the account of Sirius Black. In the attack, young Harry released a magical attack that drove back his enemies, but that also drained him severely. He was thereby unable to make a statement. _

_When Black awoke, it was to find only one Death Eater remaining. Severus Snape, previously the Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was killed by Black, and given a peasant's burial this morning. _

_Newly elected Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge announced the following statement. _

_"We will not stand idly by and allow a second rising of this brutal and disgusting power. We will stand firmly behind young Harry Potter, and all those who oppose him will be greeted with a fierce backlash."_

_Emergency packets and pamphlets are being distributed via the Ministry of Defense, they may be picked up at your local Magical Center after a brief questioning under Veritaserum. _

Severus Snape looked down at the paper and sneered. "The exodus begins…"

}I{


End file.
